Document holder



May 12, 1931. A. v. BODINE ET AL 1,304,455

DOCUMENT HOLDER Filed July '7, 1926 A RNEY Patented May 12, 1931 UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE ALFRED V. BODINE AND JOSEPH M. LUCARELLE, OF BRIDGECEORT, CONNECTICUT, .AS- SIGN'ORS TODICTAPHCNE CCRPOHATION, F BRIDGEPCRT, CONNECTICUT, .A- COR- IPORATION OF NEW YORK DOCUMENT HOLDER Application filed July 7, 1926. Serial No. 120,960.

This invention relates to racks or holders adapted to temporarily receive correspondence papers, reference files, documents, etc.,

and .especially to that class thereof which may be attached to the stands of various types of office machines such as dictating machines, typewriters, computing machines and the like. 1

The invention has for one of its objects the provision of an improved device of this character which may be readily attached to, or removed'from, the stand in connection with which it is to be used, v

I A further object of the invention is to pro vide a rack which possesses several desirable characteristics such as lightness, neatness and cheapness. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a rack which is sufficiently roomy to contain a large or small quantity of docu ments or loosepapers and hold the same in place and against being accidentally thrown out or blown about by a draft of air.

A still further object of the invention is to so organize the several elements thereof that the entire device may be firmly heldon the machine frame without the employment of separate or extraneous clamping devices or screws. l

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear and be defined in the claims. In some classes ofmachines generally used in businessoffices, it is frequently desirable that means should be provided for temporarily receiving documents necessary tobe consulted or referred to during the work which is beingdone on that particular machine, or which may-hold one or more which are tobe maintained readily on hand so as 40 to be quickly accessible or to be stored away for the'time being, while one or more of the documentsof the file have been removed to be used in thework.

4 have table leaves which are either stationary or may be hinged so as to be folded down when not in use; while others are provided with shelves onwhich the files not required are placed for temporary storage. In either case, the document files are laid down flatany kind.

Some of the machinesabove mentioned Wise and mustbe weighted down to keep them from being blown open or accidentally pushed off. Furthermore, the fiat position of the files, one on top of the other, renders the removal of one of them, as needed, more or less inconvenient, while, aside of this circumstance the uppermost file ofiers a large surface for accumulation of dust and also often invites the placing of other articles thereon.

The present inventionnot only has the desirable features above mentioned, but also avoids the objections prevalent in such devices heretofore proposed.

Briefly stated, our improved document or correspondence rack'consists of separate and distinct unitswhich may be economically and uniformly made in large quantities and is adapted for ready attachment on, or detachment from, practically all the office ma- 0 chine frames or stands in common use. The several files or documents which the device is designed to hold are placed into it vertically and, in order to provide accessibility to the rack to suit diiferent'persons or condiis tions, the rac'k may be placed at either the right hand or left hand side of the stand, or both sides may be equipped with racks, if so desired. In fact,the rack is of such construction that it may be applied in any desired position, and is retained in such position by the machine which that particular stand carries, preferably without requlrmg extraneous clamping or fastening devices of In the accompanying drawing Figure lis ajperspective view of a stand equippedwith our improved rack, the stand shown beingof the type used in connection w th dlctatlng machines.

Fig. "2 shows a perspective view of the rack as it wouldappear when removedfroin its position shown'in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the rack. Fig. 4 shows a top view thereof. as Fig. 5 represents a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. I i

,In order to make the rack as light in weight as well as inconspicuous as possible,

it is formed ofone continuous length of wire, p.11

ii)v

which is bent to be properly suspended on the top edge of the stand, and the file-receiving portions of which are symmetrical right and left, so that the manufacture of the devices in large quantities can be economically effected.

The ends of the wire stand are bent at to form hooks which may be placed over any portion of the top edge bar 11 of the stand on which the machine is supported, such a machine being indicated by the box-like structure 12 similar to the one used for dictating machines. In fact, the rack is shown in the drawing as applied to such a stand.

Extending downwardly from the hooks 10 are suspension-membersor hangers 13 which are bent sidewise at their lower ends, as at 1 1, to form rest-portions 15 for resting against the legs 16 of the stand, and in order to steady the hangers at those po1nts, the wire is again bent, as at 17, to form portions 18 adapted to embrace the outer faces of the legs 18, as will be readily understood. Formed by short return bends 19 of the wire and extending therefrom horizontally are a pair of portions 20 which constitute the bottom of the pocket 21, the rear portion of which is formed by the hangers 13 above described, while the front portion isconst1- tuted by vertical sections 22 formed by bends 23 on the connector-portions 24, whereby the bottom-portions 20 are connected with the bends 23.

The upper ends of the front-pieces 22 are connected by a connector length 25 which is preferably provided with an outwardly extending finger-piece 26 formed by suitably bending the wire as shown;

When considering the rack above described, it will be seen that the file-receiving pocket 21 is formed by the bottom sections 20. the rear sections or hangers 13, and the front sections 22, leaving the top or throat of the pocket open as clearly shown at 27 in Fig. 3, so that the files may be readily placed into the pocket from the top, whlle, on the other hand, they may easily withdraw sidewise. or upwards.

Mention has above been made that the improved rack is adapted to hold the files in compact or closed condition so that the papers contained therein will be protected against disarrangement or being blown about by air-drafts. v p

In order to accomplish this result'in a ready and eflicient manner, the hangers 13 have bent-out portions 28, the upper connecting portions 29 of which are preferably sloped as shown toguide the lower edges of the files or papers during the insertion thereof into the opening 27 of the pocket 21.

The opening 27 therefore, will be considerably reduced when compared with the lower portion of the "pocket 21, andfit fact, be entirely but yieldingly' closed as" indicat ed at 30, it being understood that the resil ency of the wires 22 will permit the opening 27 to accommodate itself to the thickness of the file to be placed therein, as indicated at 31. w a

By referring to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the major portion of the pocket 21 is disposed outside of the vertical line 32 of suspension on the hooks 10, so that the preponderance of weight of the rack, even when empty, will tend to hold the lower part of the rack,'or move particularly the rest-member 15 against the legs of the stand. Any files placed into the pocket will naturally increase such tendency, and while under ordinary circumstances, this condition may be sufficient, yet it is deemed desirable to provide means whereby the lower end of the rack will be locked in its position against the legs of the stand, there adding to the stability of attachment as well as obviating any possible flapping of the rack during the removal of the entire outfit from one place to another.

Because the weight of the machine rests upon the hooked ends 10, any accidental displacement thereof will be prevented, and it is evident that when the lower part of the rack is also locked against the legs, the entire structure becomes a substantial and closefitting unit.

While various means may beemployed for accomplishing these desired results, the invention comprises a locking member formed of a wire 33 curled near one end around one wire 3321s well as of the hangers 13 will permit considerable leeway in the actual shaping of the wire so that the legs 16 may be firmly, although yieldingly, engaged by the restportions 15 and lock member ends 34and 35.

The position of the lock wire 33, vertically on the hangers 13, is also such that the hookends 10 will be forced against the top bar 11 of the stand, andconsequently all rattle between therack and the stand will be obviated, even if the machine normally supported by the stand should be removed therefrom.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scopeiof thisinvention andportions of the improvements may be used Without others.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is

1. A file rack comprising a frame made of wire bent to form a JOCkQtfihd adapted to be" suspended from a ar connecting a pair of legs of a stand, the pocket being located the vertical line of suspension, wherebyits'l'owerportion will becaused' by rava to rest against the legsor the Sandi the Lil) portions of the frame resting against the legs being each shaped to embrace a side of the leg; and a lock bar connected to the frame and embracing the other sides of the legs for holding said frame in position.

2. A file rack comprising a frame made of wire bent to form a pocket and adapted to be suspended from a bar connecting a pair of legs of a stand, the pocket being located beyond the vertical line of suspension, Whereby its lower portion Will be caused by gravity to rest against the legs of the stand when suspended from said bar; and a lock bar carried by said frame and engaging the stand legs, for holding said frame in position thereon.

3. A file rack comprising a frame having a pair of depending members and made of Wire bent to form a pocket and having means for suspending the pocket from a bar con necting a pair of legs of a stand, means adapted to rest against the front of the legs of the stand, and means secured to one of said depending members adapted to engage the rear of said legs and the other depending member for holding the frame securely against said stand.

4. A file rack comprising a frame made of Wire bent to form a pocket and having. means for suspending the pocket from a bar connecting a pair of legs of a stand or the like, and means adapted to rest against the legs of the stand; and a lock-bar mounted on the frame for positively holding the frame against the legs of the stand or the like.

5. A file'rack comprising a frame made of Wire bent to form a pocket and having means for suspending the pocket from a bar connecting a pair of legs of a stand or the like, and means adapted to rest against the legs of the stand; and a lockrbar mounted on the frame for positively holding the frame against the legs of the stand or the like, said lock-bar being pivotally mounted on the frame for movement to and from operative position when applying the frame to or removing it from the stand, respectively.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, this 6th day ofJuly, 1926.

' ALFRED V. BODINE.

JOSEPH M. LUCARELLE. 

